Mark Lange shouldn't be in jail for the 2004 murder of Robert Olson, says Dean Boucher, who was convicted with Lange for the second-degree murder.

'He doesn't deserve to do another day,' Boucher told Yukon Supreme Court on Thursday.

At the sentencing hearing for the two yesterday, Boucher, who's representing himself, said Lange's only involvement in the murder was in driving the truck they had placed Olson in after the beating of the owner of the Caribou Hotel in Carcross.

'Mark is not guilty of anything at all except hanging around a piece of slike me,' said Boucher.

Recalling the night in December 2004 he said: 'I beat my uncle to death and I don't even; I don't even remember the fight starting.'

Over the past spring's four-week trial, a 12-member jury heard Olson was beaten in the bar of his hotel.

Both Boucher and Lange were there at the time and convicted of the murder. After the fight, the court learned, Lange and Boucher drove away in Olson's truck, with Olson's body being dumped in a ditch in the Wolf Creek subdivision after the two realized he was dead.

During Thursday's part of the sentencing hearing, Boucher told the court that 'for once' in his life, he wanted to tell the truth.

Taking the stand, he apologized to his family and Caribou Hotel manager Herb Holstein.

'And to Mark Lange most of all,' said Boucher.

That night, Boucher who was drinking whiskey that day and Lange had gone into the Caribou Hotel and Lange was kicked out.

When Boucher and Olson were alone, Olson started asking him what he was doing drinking and taking cocaine again.

'I know he was really giving me sabout being a failure,' he said.

Boucher doesn't remember Lange coming back to the bar. Lange did, though he had nothing to do with the fight, court was told Thursday.

'I don't know if I'll survive down south and I don't really care if I do, to be honest,' he said.

His relationship with Olson had been up and down over the years, he said.

Lange never stole beer from the bar because there had been none to steal, Boucher said. While he doesn't remember why the fight between him and Olson started, he said he does recall carrying things out of the bar.

The only reason Lange drove the truck away from the bar was that Boucher, told him he wasn't allowed to drive and the RCMP would pull him over.

'I remember telling Mark to drive fast to get to the hospital,' said Lange.

As he recalled the night of the murder, he cried on the stand.

'I'm sorry, Mark,' he said, taking a Kleenex.

Court was adjourned shortly as his mother began weeping.

Coming back into court after the break, Boucher hugged his mother, and the two talked before he took the stand.

He then told the court he obviously carried a 'bunch of things out of the bar,' but he doesn't remember what they were. He did know he was going to sell them for drug money.

'It was always for the drugs,' said Boucher.

In Wolf Creek , Boucher said, he doesn't remember putting Olson's body in the ditch. He does recall 'screaming and crying' as he tried to give Olson CPR when they pulled over near the Robinson subdivision.

He tried to convince Lange to take the fall for the murder, said Boucher.

'That's me; it's all me,' he said.

Looking at Lange, he said he hopes when Lange gets his appeal that he can get back with his family.

'I sure wish I could,' he said.

Boucher then told the court he was sorry he'd wasted the court's time and money, and that an innocent man died because of his (Boucher's) alcohol and drug addiction. He also said he was sorry for his outbursts in the court system 'over the years.'

He asked that Justice Leigh Gower sentence him today, whether that be for 15 or 25 years' prison time.

'I don't know who I am. I've never known who I am,' he said.

When Gower asked if he was finished with his evidence, Boucher replied: 'I'm done everything.'

Earlier in the sentencing, Crown counsel sought a prison sentence that would leave both without a chance of parole for 15 years.

Lange's lawyer Andre Roothman, was scheduled to give his submissions today.